The judiciary spokesperson on the possibility of appointing a chosen lawyer for defendants during trial and appeal stages
Masoud Setayeshi, the spokesperson for the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran, stated that according to the note of Article 48 of the Criminal Procedure Code, defendants during the trial, appeal, or cassation stages can appoint their approved lawyers.
Mr. Setayeshi said that the lack of a chosen lawyer pertains to preliminary investigations and the prosecutor’s stage.
During the arrest and trial of some protesters in Iran, the judiciary has not accepted the chosen lawyers of these individuals even in the trial and appeal stages.
At least in the case of Majidreza Rahnavard, which led to the issuance and execution of the death sentence, the defendant did not have a chosen lawyer.
So far, the judiciary has refrained from accepting chosen lawyers in political and security cases by citing the note of Article 48 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
According to the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iranian citizens have the right to appoint a lawyer they trust.